Paudge Connolly (Cavan-Monaghan, Independent)
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Question 302: To ask the Minister for Foreign Affairs his assessment of the impact of the events in Dublin on the weekend of 24 to 27 February, 2006 on the future direction of the Northern Ireland peace process; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [8983/06]

Dermot Ahern (Louth, Fianna Fail)
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I condemn once again those who came to the city centre on 25 February intent on causing violence and destruction. The disorder was engineered by a small number of organised thugs supported by opportunistic hooligans. These acts have been condemned by all right-thinking people and by their political representatives on all sides.

It is important that the events of 25 February in no way alter our political programme or intimidate us into caution or inaction. They will not stop us taking risks for peace or stop us working with all sides and shades of opinion if they are committed to peaceful means in support of their agenda. They will not stop us sitting down at the table with Unionists in a spirit of friendship and co-operation or from reaching out to progressive voices in loyalism. We will, in fact, work to do the exact opposite of what these people intended, by further intensifying our efforts to strengthen inclusivity, preserve democracy and build a shared future for all the people of this island, free from violence and the threat of it.